An intriguing and probing album that reveals more of its secrets with repeated hearings
DJT015 Vinyl LP – available from davejonesjazz.com
Ben Waghorn (saxes, flute); Tim Rose (guitar, bass); Dave Jones (keyboards, drum machine); Elliot Bennett (drums – side A track 2 and side B track 2); Lyndon Owen (doudek, taragato – side B tracks 4 and 5); Will Cass (guitar – side B track 3); Kevin O’Rourke (drums – side B track 3); Ashley John Long (bass – side B track 3)
With its striking cover artwork, this album by Dave Jones, his fifteenth release as leader, is somewhat of a departure that combines the keyboard player, composer and bandleader’s love of Prog rock, jazz and art.
Prog rock and jazz have often been strange bedfellows, with the excesses associated of the former frowned upon by practitioners and fans of the latter, but here Jones appears to have found a way to marry up the two genres in a most compelling manner that brings together electronic keyboards, composition and improvision that will not offend followers of either genre.
If the jazz audience may have to search a little harder for a quick fix, the closest we get to anything resembling straight ahead jazz is found on the dynamic ‘Hedonism’, there are plenty of solos that will have even the die hard jazzers nodding in appreciation.
The majestic opening ‘Minima’ features Dave Jones skillful orchestral arrangement for keyboards that also translate well on ‘Statosphere’. As brief as it is, ‘Minima’ then eases us into the gentle opening and subtle bass riff of ‘Trepidation + 74 Heist’ with its ethereal guitar and keyboards that then open up with the saxophone cries from Ben Waghorn’s tenor only to segue into a powerful groove and solo from Tim Rose on guitar.
Varying mood and texture, ‘Spectrum Analysis’ develops through layers of keyboards and sampled voices, and alongside solid accompaniment from guitar and drums Jones plays a melodic solo that is full of interest, while once again Tim Rose is generously featured with some fine playing on ‘Fading Odyssey’ and ‘Extinction Event’ bring the first side of the LP to a close.
The second side immediately introduces more fresh ideas, sounds and textures, and as such within the well-defined concept of the album as a whole, Jones brings much variety to the music. From the opening ‘Forest Bathing’ we are treated to a gorgeous ballad that features Ben Waghorn’s lyrical flute prior to the more raucous and indeed joyous ‘Hedonism’ with Waghorn’s headlong tenor playing.
Continuing to mix things up while retaining the concept of the album, Jones joins forces with Lyndon Owen to jointly compose the wonderful ‘The Slopes of Ararat’ referencing Turkey’s highest peak in Mount Ararat and said to be the resting place of Noah’s Ark and the equally enthralling ‘Pwca’ described in Welsh folklore as the mischievous shapeshifting spirit.
With most of the pieces are brief and concise with only one of the studio tracks exceeding the five-minute mark, the music was originally conceived for a library recording, Dave Jones incorporates ‘Time Traveller Live’ that was recorded in concert at Teign Jazz and Blues in February of this year that once again illustrates how the music can be expanded and flow organically when taken on the road.
An intriguing and probing album that reveals more of its secrets with repeated hearings.
